Snow vehicle



July 15, 1941. c. DAVIS SNOW VEHICLE Filed July 5, 19-39 3 Sheets-Sheet1 MQN 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 U/Y c DAVIS;

SNOW VEHICLE Filed July 5, 1959 hh NN IR!- In ventor .iyia Janis.

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c. bAvls SNOW VEHICLE Filed July 5, 19:59

Jill 15, 1941. 2,249,374

3 Sheets-Sheet '3 4 Inventor {Q ,gydafiarw,

. Q By A iiorneys Patented July 15, 1941 UNITED STATES TE T oFFicEApplication July 5, 1939, Serial No. 282,937

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a snow vehicle, and has for the primary objectthe provision'of a power driven device of this character whichis capableof attaining high speeds over snow covered areas with a maximum amountof safety andv is constructed to carry or accommodate a number ofpassengers as well as the driver with comfort and with clear vision andmay be readily converted into a land vehicle Whenever it is necessary tocross ground free of snow or if desired, may be employed extensively asa land vehicle.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts tobe hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had tothe following description and accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1is a side elevation illustrating a snow vehicle constructed inaccordance with my invention,

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the device.

Figure '3' is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the body ofthe device, taken on the line 3 -3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional View" taken through the runnerconstruction of the device on the line 4-4 of Figure 1. I

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure1.

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 66 of Figure 3.

Figure '7 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 'I-l of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a side elevation illustrating a-brake element.

Figure 9 is a front elevation illustrating the brake element.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the slidableconnection between the runner construction and the body.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 indicates a sledconstruction which presents a comparatively broad flat runner surface 6.The runner construction at its forward end is curved upwardly, as shownat I, to present a guard and is of skeleton formation covered with asuitable foraminous material 8 through which loose snow may pass. Thesled construction 5 is of a chambered arrangement and has locatedtherein coil springs 9 for yieldably supporting a body 8.

The body 8'has windows ID in the sides and front walls thereof and alsohas arranged therein a numberof chairs or seats H for the accommo-'dation of passengers and the driver of the device. It is preferable thatthe chairs or seats be arranged in rows with a center aisle so that thepassengers may readily enter and leave the chairs or seats. A suitableentrance-way, indicated by the numeral I2, is provided in one side ofthe body and normally closed by a door. In the upper forward portion ofthe body is mounted an internal combustion engine 13 of the air cooledtype and which has connected thereto a propeller [4 arranged in front ofthe body and rearwardly of the guard 1 so that the propeller will beprotected from brush or the like when the device is traveling over snowcovered areas where small brush or trees may be growing.

One of the seats or chairs is reserved for the use of the driver wherethe various controls of the device are located.

Cross members Ill are secured to the under face of the body 8' and havereduced ends which operate in vertically arranged guide grooves llformed in the vertical walls of the sled construction so that the bodyand sled construction may v have relative movement to each other. Stripsl2 close the upper end of the vertical guide grooves II, to preventthereduced ends ofthe members H) from ,moving out of the guide grooves andconsequently preventing entire separation of the body and runnerconstruction.

Arudder shaft i5 is journaled vertically in the body with the lower endextending into the sled construction while the upper end terminates 7above the body and carries a rudder I6. A,rud-

derarm IT is secured intermediate its ends'to the'lower end of therudder shaft and has connected thereto rudder cables l8 whichare inturnv otally mounted in the runner construction, as

shown at 26, and each includes an operating arm 21. Connected to theoperating arms 21 are cables 28 and the cables are in turn connected tovpivotally mounted footpedals'zfiv which will-permit the driver to bringeither or both of the brake elements into engagement with the ground forl at as, bottom the purpose of retarding the speed of the device.Suitable springs 23 may be connected to the foot pedals for elevatingthe brake elements from engagement with the ground. It is preferablethat the brake elements have pointed ends 3|) which ends also may bebeveled, as shown at 3|, to permit said ends to readily bite into theground.

It is to be noted that the rudder I6 is located directly rearwardly ofthe propeller within the path of the air currents from the propeller sothat the air currents will act on th propeller to bring about positivsteering of the device any direction at the desire of the operator.

An anti-skid board 33 is pivotally mounted at d within th sledconstruction, as shown nuns adapted for -movement through the wall ofsYfiEFSIed construction through the operation of a control lever34. Thecontrol lever i connected to a bell crank lever 35, as shown at 36. Thebell crank lever is pivotally mounted inthe sled construction and isconnected to the non-skid device as shown at 31, .'The non-skid devicemay be readily raised or lowered and when 42. Fluid pipes 43 areconnected to opposite ends of the cylinder and to a master cylinder 44arranged within the body and inw'hi'ch operates a master piston 45, thestem 146 of which is piv-. otally connected to a controllever-4'l. .Anysuitable holding means may be --prc' 'vided forthe lever 41 to retainthe piston 45 in a selected position. When the piston 45 is moved towardone end of the master cylinder fluid be. forced to circulate into thecylinders. 4| for the purpose of raising the pistons 42'andelevating'the wheels within the sled construction and. whenthecon trol lever 41 ismovedin an opposite direction or the piston 45 movediinv an oppositedirection the. fluid will be circulated in a reverse direction extendingthe wheels through th slots of the sled construction into engagementwith the ground for elevating the sled construction from the ground.

A rear wheel 49 is lournaled on the rear end portion of the body so asto turn freely in either directionand thereby act as a pilot wheel. Therear wheel 49 journaled to a forked-axle 50, the stem of which extendsinto a cylinder 52 and has connected therewith a piston similar to oneof the pistons 42. The cylinder 52 has the fluid pipes of the mastercylinder connected thereto so that the rear wheel will be elevated orlowered in accordance with the elevation and lowering of the frontwheels. The stem 5| is free to rotate in the cylinder 52 so as to permitthe rear wheel 49 to pivot. However, the stems of the-front wheels orthe axles thereof are nonrotatable in the cylinders 42 so that the frontwheels will be held against swinging in either direction. Thus it willbe seen that through the manipulation of the controllever 41 the devicecanbe readily converted eitherinto a vehicle for the sled constructionsnow covered areas or into a land vehicle. When the device is usedeither on snow or on the ground its propulsion is by the engine l3operating the propeller l4, the steering being carried out through theoperation of the rudder IS. The forward end of the body rearwardly ofthe propeller may be provided with vent openings to allow air to enterthe body for the Purpose of cooling the engine. By referring to Figure 2it will be noted that the engine is located in a separate compartmentfrom the passengers and driver and the air passing from the engine mayescape by a vent arrangement 6| provided in the roof of the body,

The body at the forward end thereof may be @provided with a headlight 62so as to give sufficient illumination of the area directly in front ofthe device so that the latter can be conveniently driven with safety atnight.

It is believed that the foregoing description when taken in connectionwith the drawings will fullyset forth th construction and advantages ofthis invention to those skilled in the art to whichsuch device relates,so that further detailed description will not be required.

Having described the invention, claim is:

1.,In a snow vehicle, a hollow runner body having its front end curvingupwardly and said body including a lower bottom forming member, an uppertop forming member and vertically arranged side and end wall formingmembers, the \top member having an opening therein which extends to theside members and from the rear end member to a pointrearwardly of theupwardly curved part of the front of the runner body, the side membershaving vertical slots therein located adjacent the ends of. the opening,a body having its=lower part of a length to fitin the opening at the topof the runner body and said body including a bottom member, cross piecesconnected with the lower face of th bottom member and having reducedends fitting in the slots in the side members of the runner body,springs in the runner body upon which the cross pieces rest and meansfor closing th upper ends of the slots.

2. Ina snow vehicle including a hollow runner body, having alongitudinally extending and centrally arranged slot in its bottom, avertically arranged plate having its lower part fitting in the slot,means for pivotally connecting the upper front corner of the plate tothe runner body and manually operated means for applying pressure to therear end of the plate for forcing a portion of the plate through theslot to prevent sideslip of the runner body.

3. In a snow vehicle, a runner body of hollow construction, a main bodysupported on the runner body and having its rear portion extending 7beyond the rear end of the runner body, a wheel supported for rotary andvertical movement by the rear portion of the main body and in rear ofthe runnerbody, a pair of front wheels normally located in the runnerbody and said runner body having slots in the bottom for the passage ofthe front wheels, means for lowering the front wheels to project themthrough the slots and means for simultaneously lowering the rear wheel.

what I CLYDE DAVIS.

